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BackgroundPostoperative seroma is most frequent after mastectomy (ME) in combination with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), and its reported incidence varies from 15.5% up to 90%. Seromas can be responsible for discomfort, infections and can lead to reconstruction failure. Therefore, many ways of seroma prevention have been studied, although from a recent overview it has become clear that no single method is reliably successful. Mechanical closure of the dead space, however, was consistently found to be significantly effective. The aim of our study is to evaluate if quilting of the axilla, in patients undergoing ME, immediate prosthetic breast reconstruction and ALND reduces the duration of drain maintenance, the incidence of seromas that require aspiration (clinically significant seromas, CSS) and reconstruction failure rate.Materials and methodsIn our study population we analyzed a total of 81 patients divided into two groups: 27 consecutive patients undergoing mastectomy, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), breast reconstruction and quilting of the axilla. We subsequently randomly picked up a double number of patients (54) undergoing the same oncological and reconstructive procedures without undergoing axillary quilting, matched for clinical characteristics in order to analyze efficacy of the procedure while reducing any bias. Our observational retrospective data was collected from October 2016 to July 2020 in one single high-volume center. Our median follow-up time was of 40.6 months.ResultsIn the case group we observed a reduced time of drain maintenance: 16 vs. 20 days observed in the non-quilted group (p

Background: Conjunctival chemosis, a complication of lower blepharoplasty, can cause persistent discomfort and functional disturbances with worsening in the postoperative period following surgery. Methods: A review of the records of the lower blepharoplasty procedures carried out at the Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy was performed. Patients were categorized into two groups depending on the procedure performed: (1) transconjunctival blepharoplasty with the removal of the fatty lodges with canthopexy and (2) transcutaneous blepharoplasty with the removal of the fatty lodges with lateral canthoplasty. Each group was further divided into two more groups based on the surgical method used, that is either (a) cold blade and disposable cautery or (b) radiofrequency cut and coagulation and colorado tip (respectively 1a, 1b, 2a and 2b). All patients underwent a postoperative follow-up up to 24 months, which included an evaluation of cosmetic appearance, eyelid scarring and the severity of chemosis. The aim of the study was to investigate which of the surgical procedures causes a lower incidence of persistent type 3 conjunctival chemosis. Results: A total of 1047 patients who underwent lower lid blepharoplasty were included in the study. A total of 512 patients underwent transcutaneous blepharoplasty and 535 underwent the transconjunctival procedure. Among the first group of patients, 266 belong to group 1a and 246 to group 1b. In the second group, 264 were categorized as group 2a and 271 as group 2b. The incidence of type 3 chemosis in the transcutaneous blepharoplasty procedure with lateral canthoplasty was statistically significantly higher than in the transconjunctival approach, considering both the cold blade and the radiofrequency (p = 0.012, 0.010, 0.006, 0.004, respectively). Conclusions: A higher incidence of persistent type 3 conjunctival chemosis is associated with lateral canthus surgery and with the use of radiofrequency.